Storybrooke's 29th annual Thanksgiving Festival of Gratitude & Kinship
by Exquisiteliltart
Summary: Swan Queen Thanksgiving fic
1. Chapter 1

Title: Storybrooke's 29th annual Thanksgiving Festival of Gratitude & Kinship (1/2)

Pairing: Regina/Emma  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: These characters are not my creative property

"Why don't you try being thankful I didn't make you dress as Pocahontas!" Regina was at her wits end with Emma, per usual.

"I get the sense you want to push me in the oven, baste me in my own drippings, carve me up and eat me with cranberry sauce," Emma could barely walk in her deluxe turkey costume, complete with extended gobbler. At least she was warm. Too warm if she thought about it.

"I would take great delight in stuffing you, true."

Regina, dressed in full traditional colonial garb, diligently tended to her apple press cranking out batches of cider in a demonstration of work ethic that would have put the first settlers to shame. Well, Regina certainly had the posture and grim puritan demeanor for authenticity points, at least. Emma watched with envy as Regina smoothed down her long white apron over her long black dress. Her get-up looked comfy compared to Emma's. Although, she wasn't sure that pilgrim women wore patent leather stiletto heeled fuck me pumps, but somehow it worked on Regina. Incredibly well, actually. Emma let her mind drift to wondering what kind of garters and lacey lingerie Regina had going on underneath that shift dress until her attention snapped back to the task at hand.

"More cider, Ms. Swan," Regina huffed and fussed over Henry's little hat. Why a hat needed a buckle was beyond Emma's grasp of understanding, but Henry looked quite cute, if not a little too much like miniature Regina.

"You should call her Ms. Turkey today," Henry giggled and pointed as Emma scratched at the sweat matted hair against her neck. She might as well be in an oven.

"I like that Henry, very good. Ms. Turkey come get some more samples," Regina placed her hands on Henry's shoulder as he put another tray of non-authentic plastic sample cups on a tray for Emma to fill with cider.

Thanksgiving in Storybrooke was kinda a big deal, although Emma had no idea why. She just wanted to eat, lounge, sleep, and watch TV. Somehow Regina had roped her into dressing as a turkey and handing out glasses of homemade cider during Storybrooke's Thanksgiving festival of Gratitude and Kinship, or whatever it was called. Emma wasn't sure on the precise name of the festival cause she could barely hear, so enclosed her turkey head was.

"Shouldn't I be handing out gravy samples or something related to turkey?" Emma tried to frown, but her beak fell over her eyes. Regina had two cauldrons full of cider: the one on the left was pre-prepared and fermented hard cider with very high alcohol content and the one on the right was regular cider…or was it the other way around? Ah, shit. Emma realized she'd just handed out hard cider to the kids. Well, this was going to be a banner Thanksgiving. Her only prospect of hope was the meal Mary Margaret was preparing back at home, a feast hopefully.

"Sheriff we need you!" Granny screamed from down the way. Emma tried to run, but found she was more restricted in her costume than she usually was in her jeans. So she lumbered…er…waddled. All she knew was she could hear Regina's cackle mocking her from behind.

"What is it?" Emma said breathlessly. Turkey costume was damned heavy.

"Mr. WeWow just took off down Main Street! He's supposed to be on my table for the demonstration," Granny pointed to a zigzagging frightened turkey making an escape attempt.

"Demonstration?" Emma asked wearily, preparing herself to run after the frantic bird.

"The slaughtering demonstration, he's gonna be next week's special- I need that bird," Granny was adamant.

Emma took a deep breath and ran after the turkey, fast fucker. Mean too, Emma found out the hard way. She thought she could sneak up on him, distracting him by throwing out a handful of corn, and maybe he'd think she was just one of his turkey mates. Mr. WeWow was smart. In the end, Emma only got pecked, bitten and flailed on a few dozen times before she was able to get the swoop on him and deliver him back to Granny's festive slaughtering booth. Emma was looking forward to a hot turkey sandwich next week.

"Ms. Turkey, you're neglecting duties!" Regina called her back over, using her new name which elicited a roar of laughter from Henry. He even awarded Regina a coveted high five. Emma thought they looked ridiculous, though she had no room to talk.

"I'm roasting in this! Are we done yet?" Emma showed no shame in her fitful whining and begging. Kids were running around screaming and hiccupping, which Emma had no doubt partly the effects of 12% alcohol by volume homemade cider.

Before Regina could veto the idea of turning in, the fire trucks whizzed by, sirens on, and Emma felt her cell phone buzzing somewhere among her giblets. The smoke was billowing out of—yep, that was most definitely black smoke escaping from Mary Margaret's loft.

Emma took off at her full waddling pace toward the apartment, which was hard enough on its own, never mind the fact that she had imbibed in a few dozen of Regina's hard samples to get through the festival and was now decidedly feeling the effects of the aforementioned, 12% alcohol by volume homemade cider.

…..

The only casualty in the fire was the meal. So long feast, rest in peace. Mary Margaret was standing in the driveway crying on David Nolan's shoulder- holding on tighter than necessary in Emma's opinion. He looked pretty good as a volunteer fire fighter, and Emma wouldn't have been surprised if Mary Margaret burned that shit on purpose just to get to see him in his overalls and carrying an axe.

"Sorry, Emma. I wanted to make Thanksgiving special, but now we have nothing," Mary Margaret cried harder, her lip and chin quivering as large tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's okay..we have frozen pizza," Emma shrugged in her costume; she needed to get out of it. She started to head up inside when David held out a hand to stop her.

"Oh no, the building needs full inspection for structural damage. You can't go back in today," David said with authoritative certainty.

"I just need to get a change of clothes," Emma reasoned, but David shook his head.

Emma sighed, a puff of air hitting her gobbler, just as Regina and Henry cruised up in the Benz. She rolled down the window and took in the scene.

"Is everyone alright?" Regina asked as if she couldn't care less, her eyes flicking hatefully over David and Mary Margaret.

"Yeah, but the bird is ruined. I guess we're spending Thanksgiving at Granny's Inn," Emma slumped her shoulders in defeat. She watched as Henry whispered something to Regina, and then turned on his wide eyed puppy look. Regina seemed to be wrestling with a difficult and painful decision like whether or not to euthanize a beloved family pet. She finally spoke agonizingly slowly.

"Henry wishes you to be present for Thanksgiving at our house," Regina rolled her eyes, and pursed her lips, "Mary Margaret too."

"We have plenty of food and we can play football in the back yard after we eat!" Henry couldn't contain his excitement.

"Dinner will be ready precisely at six. I trust you'll clean yourselves up before you arrive?" Regina didn't wait for an answer; she threw the Benz into gear and screeched the tires as she drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you Scribes and Scrolls for helping with the wet direction of this story.

With no stores open, no clothes and nowhere to go, Emma and Mary Margaret accepted the Mayor's invitation, and made their way over. Henry flung open the door and ushered them in before they even knocked. He'd obviously been looking out the window in anticipation of their arrival. Emma could barely squeeze through the door in her stupid costume.

"Mom's not gonna like that you're still dressed as a turkey," Henry warned as Emma shrugged haplessly. Sure it was uncouth to eat the creature she was currently dressed in likeness of, but what was one to do? Regina had forced her to dress up in the first place and it was Thanksgiving: a time for forgiveness and gratefulness.

Thankfully, the scent of a tantalizing meal covered up the smell of smoke on Mary Margaret and they slowly made their way inside toward the dining room. Emma noticed the centerpiece cornucopia spewing apples and plastic autumn leaves first; the candles were a nice touch too.

Regina had changed into a formal royal purple dress, and wore a floral apron over it. She carried out serving platters of mouthwatering food. Seriously, there was more than enough for the whole town. The entire table was covered in all manner of delicious looking eats rivaling a Norman Rockwell painting or a Top Chef competition.

"How kind of you to join us; I hope everything is suited to your taste," Regina smiled so brightly Emma wished she had sunglasses. "Mary Margaret, would you care for dark meat or white meat?"

Watching Regina cut into the crispy skin of the turkey and saw it off like a pro made Emma shiver with uneasiness. The woman didn't even blink.

"White meat, thank you," Mary Margaret held out her plate while Regina piled a huge portion of turkey on it.

"Help yourselves," Regina extended an arm toward the dishes and Emma wasted no time, digging in to the potatoes, filling three-fourths of her plate just with a mountain of mashed Yukon gold and drowning it in gravy.

Everything was delicious, like out of this world, sell your soul to the devil gourmet. Emma was still shoveling food down her gullet when she finally paused to chew and noticed no one else was eating.

"Oh," she managed around a mouthful of green bean casserole.

"Henry will lead us in Grace," Regina fixed her gaze on the blonde and narrowed her eyes slightly. Emma dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clank, feeling guilty. She looked at Regina's outstretched hand across the table like it was an open flame. She took it grudgingly; she was sorta new to this whole 'grace' thing. Emma took Mary Margaret's hand on the other side, while Regina took Henry's.

"Go on, Henry, just like we practiced," Regina encouraged before slipping her eyes shut. Emma stared for a moment before doing the same.

Henry began to speak, "In sharing in this meal let us be truly thankful for the good things we have for the warm hospitality and for this good company."

Short and sweet, now the forks can get back to work. Emma tried to release Regina's hand, but found Regina didn't let go. Her eyes popped open, "Now we all go around the table and tell each other what we're grateful for on this holiday."

Emma wanted to groan as she felt her belly rumble. She couldn't complain; she supposed she had more to be thankful for this year than any other.

"Ms. Swan, what are you thankful for?" Regina had a way of asking as if it was a challenge.

"Um..food, a job…family, the usual," Emma shrugged in the way she did when it was hard for her to really express her emotions. Mary Margaret squeezed her hand. "And thank you Regina for sharing your lovely dinner with Mary Margaret and me…in our time of need."

Regina nodded, the strained smile on her lips looked as though it wanted to swan dive into the gravy boat to get away.

Henry was thankful for comic books, his moms, his teacher, and oxygen. They were learning about the elements in science class. Never under appreciate oxygen, important lesson.

Mary Margaret was thankful for birds, her students, Emma's friendship and also very grateful to Regina for inviting her over. Regina seemed to straighten her back and preen a bit while Mary Margaret rambled on, almost as if Regina thought she was groveling.

"Let's eat," This time Regina tried to take her hand back from Emma, but Emma gave her the 'not so fast' face.

"What is Madam Mayor thankful for this year?" Emma wasn't going to let her get out of her own game.

Regina glared, but managed to keep her smile firmly affixed, her brown eyes shimmered as she directed her words at Emma, "I am very grateful for my loving and dutiful son, my important and prestigious position as a community leader, and my perfect health."

Emma bit her lip, but realized she finally had full permission to eat, so she wrenched her hand out of Regina and Mary Margaret's grip simultaneously and used her fork as a shovel. The conversation was very limited after they started to eat.

Henry finished first and asked to be excused to go get the football, "Emma come outside when you're done! I want to show you my sweet spiral."

"Sure thing buddy," Emma wasn't really in the mood to toss around the pigskin, not dressed as a turkey anyhow, but she'd do anything for Henry. When she looked over at Regina the smile was gone, and she was already out of her seat and clearing plates- Emma scraped a few more spoonfuls of mashed potato off even as Regina lifted the plate from the table.

"Oh, thank you," Mary Margaret mumbled as Regina gave her plate the same treatment.

"I assume you'll want pie," Regina said in an accusatory tone as if wanting pie was a crime. Who wouldn't want pie? It was fucking Thanksgiving. Emma and Mary Margaret shrugged helplessly and looked down at the table.

"Pumpkin or apple?"

"Pumpkin!" Emma and Mary Margaret said simultaneously and a bit too frantically.

"Um...Regina let me help clean up, pie can wait," Emma offered, standing up, her turkey butt knocked the over the chair. She was soo full of goodness.

"Come on!" Henry was getting impatient. "Everyone has to play so we can have teams!"

"Mary Margaret will join you while Emma does the dishes," Regina called back, cheerful as ever.

"Okay…right, yes! Here I come," Mary Margaret started out the back door to play with Henry.

The silence that engulfed the house seemed overwhelming to Emma. She sluggishly followed Regina to the kitchen.

"Dish soap, dishes," Regina helpfully pointed out, and added in her best condescending tone, "You do know what to do with them?"

"Got it," Emma clenched her jaw and turned on the water. It wouldn't be difficult except for her useless wings that were attached to her arms making every motion cumbersome. Regina hovered over her to supervise.

Every plate had to be washed three times. Regina checked each one over as Emma tried to rinse and Regina shook her head and made Emma wash it again. Emma did keep getting distracted, watching Mary Margaret run past the window time and again chasing the football.

After one plate's fourth pass, Regina bent over the sink to inspect and Emma inadvertently raised her saturated wing which flung suds and water all over Regina's head and chest. Her response was just what Emma expected: angry. Like wrath of a vengeful God angry.

"Look what you've done, Ms. Swan! You'll be paying my dry cleaning bill!" Regina's nostrils flared her eyes glowering, as she strutted up to Emma, who turned around and leaned against the edge of the sink.

"Accident" Emma automatically lifted her arms in the universal symbol of surrender which only served in sending another spray of water onto Regina.

"Sorry," Emma said again, much less sincere and to add to Regina's indignity Emma let out a rueful snort at the absurdity of the situation. For a brief yet violent moment Emma was sure Regina was going to strangle her, but instead Regina reached past and grabbed the spray nozzle from the sink. Regina squirted her down with a maniacal sense of glee.

Unfortunately for Regina, Emma's attire was like a giant sponge so the water just sucked right up into the plush fleece of her costume. Emma was quite proud of her next maneuver, which was to wrap Regina up in a big bear hug—turkey hug, rather. The water squished out of Emma's puffy chest and soaked Regina all the way through. Regina struggled to get away, but Emma held firm as Regina wriggled and protested. Emma pushed her back until Regina was against the kitchen island.

"Can't we just do the dishes in peace? Why make this day worse?" Emma offered the olive branch, but Regina slapped it away. She was huffing now, taking big gulps of air to regain her composure. She was shivering, from sheer rage or the cold water, Emma wasn't sure- though if she was going to bet on it she'd go with rage. Definitely, rage. The time for diplomacy was long gone. Regina was advancing on her, Emma looked for an out, but she was cornered, and it looked like Regina was going to drag her by her tail feathers over to Granny's slaughtering block. Regina reached for her hands up and claw-like, but Emma saw it coming and grabbed her wrists twisting and pinning them behind her back. Ain't no thang to Emma, but it was a pretty sweet move no matter. Hell, even Regina seemed impressed, her eyebrows raised and startled, as Emma bent her face down against the counter.

"Let me go, Ms. Swan!" Regina was helpless, and Emma pressed her wet turkey belly into her backside.

"Yeah…no, not until we both calm down and play nice. This is a day of thanks, remember?" Emma's damned beak was falling in her face again, blocking her vision.

"I'll…puh-lay nuh-ice," Regina muttered almost inaudibly with her cheek pressed firmly into the granite of the counter.

"Promise?" Emma sing-songed, and then the realization occurred that she was enjoying this dish washing fiasco a little too much. She liked having Regina in this position, it was…exciting to see her powerless and bending to Emma's will. Emma stomped her clawed feet and pushed forward and Regina gasped.

"Time out," Emma sounded slightly confused.

"Time out? How can you call time out while we're in the middle of a fight?" Regina sounded even more confused.

"Are you enjoying this as much as I am?" Emma asked in a shy tone.

"Absolutely not! I'm…really _mad_," suddenly, Regina sounded anything but, she was laughing. Emma could see her shoulders shaking, dead giveaway.

"Yeah…don't think just answer: if I let you up what's the first thing you're going to do?"

"Let me up and you'll find out," Regina sassed notes of seduction creeping into her voice. This sounded promising. Emma was tempted, but pushed Regina harder against the counter just for good measure. Okay, so now she was basically detaining the Mayor against her will in her own home, no less, but Regina didn't even seem to mind. Her ass was kinda pushing and grinding back into Emma's turkey thighs.

Emma gave Regina's hair a little tug before relenting and slowly stepping back.

"Time in!" Regina popped up and turned around crashing against Emma and almost bouncing off of her, but she grabbed the long extended neck of her costume and pulled Emma's face to hers. She grinned before her eyes flashed down to Emma's lips and she went in for the kill: kissing her soundly. Emma felt body relax and tense all at once. Regina's tongue was hot as molten lava as it possessively plunged against Emma's.

Yep, they were doing it. It was awesome.

Regina pulled back, giving Emma's bottom lip a good lick and tug. Emma stared boldly into Regina's challenging and delighted eyes.

"Leave the dishes," Regina turned and strutted toward the stairs. "Coming?"

"Definitely, but you're gonna have to help me out of this costume," Emma called meekly, and stole a glance outside where Mary Margaret was still playing catch with Henry.

Regina just laughed wickedly.

Despite everything, Emma had never felt so thankful for Thanksgiving than she did at that moment.


End file.
